Hope

Driving along listening to Christmas music I began to dwell on Jesus as a baby. Blows my mind that he came that way. In the night, breaking the silence with the cries of a newborn. And here he was, with his mom, to save the world.
Something else entered. Hope.
Hebrews 11:1 says, "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." We hope for what we can't see, but Christ in the flesh filled the world with hope. He grew into a man, walked with the sinners, and continued to give hope to those who were shunned by society. He died the death we couldn't, saving us though we put him there, and was raised again. He didn't leave us alone, he gave his spirit to walk with us. And so, we hope again. This time, our hope is that he is coming to rescue us forever.
Christmas is a reminder about the hope we have. Hope to have marriages healed, hope to restore relationships, hope that our children will be saved, and hope that though we struggle, there is eternity waiting.
So, what if this Christmas we filled our homes with hope. When we see lights that we teach our children we are to be the light of the world, that the Christmas tree (even fake ones) are evergreens symbolizing eternal life, and the presents under the tree are not because they are worthy to receive, but because we give out of an overflow of our heart.
What if, as Christians raising our children in a dark world, we give them the one thing they need: Christ. Let's start now. Let's pledge to give our children Christ not just this season, but every day of their life.
When Christ comes, we won't have to hope because we will see. And once we see, we'll never want anything else.

Hot Ham and Cheese Sandwiches

This is a winner that I got from my friend Patti. (Put it on here so I can Pin it and added a random photo so it would Pin)

Hot ham & cheese sandwiches

2 pkgs pepp farm dinner rolls

½ - 1 lb shaved ham frm deli

½ # swiss cheese

Place ham & cheese inside rolls and place in 9x13

On the stove melt:

1 stick butter

3 T brown sugar

1 T mustard

1 T worchestershire

Stir while heating

Pour glaze over sand

Chill in fridge to marinate  (20 min)

Bake 325 10-15 min

Serve immediately

Sanctity of Life. And my 7 year old.

Abbie came home from school to let me know that a friend told her, "Obama wants to kill babies in mommies tummies."
Pause. Freak out. "We'll talk about that later."
Not quite what I was expecting when you ask, "What did you learn today?"
My first thought, honestly, was what parent told their kid this? What did they hear? Why are they telling others? Oh. my.
I didn't say anything else to Abbie. Just needed to sit in it.
This morning I got out the bible and told Abbie that I wanted to talk to her about. Told her that we see what God has to say about things in life and what did God say about this. I read to her Psalm 139. We talked about how God is everywhere, you can't hide. We talked about God knitting her together and that he could see her when I couldn't and that God has determined the days of her life before the earth began. He has for all us. We talked about being fearfully and wonderfully made.
Then I asked what she thought about that. She only agreed.
Then I had to tell her that Obama believes that a girl who is pregnant has the choice to have the baby or not, and that is called abortion, when they murder it. She asked what murder was and I told her they kill it. Her inquisitive 7 year old mind wanted to know how they kill it and I honestly answered that I didn't know, nor did I want to.
I told her based off the bible, God gives life, God takes life. Not us. Every soul is loved by Him.
I never had abortion as a topic of discussion on my radar. Not for a 7 year old. I didn't want to shy from this topic as though it should be taboo. I want her to know truth. God's truth. I want her to run to the bible and seek out God. She might not quite understand this topic fully, and that's ok. But I want the words of the living God to be placed upon her soul as kindling so that they might light a fire in her heart that burns for him and she will know why we believe what we believe because if I don't bring the truth to light, someone else will bring false teaching.

Psalm 139

13 For you formed my inward parts;

you knitted me together in my mother's womb.

14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Wonderful are your works;

my soul knows it very well.

15 My frame was not hidden from you,

when I was being made in secret,

intricately woven in the depths of the earth.

16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance;

in your book were written, every one of them,

the days that were formed for me,

when as yet there was none of them.

Hands

Lately I've been thinking about my hands. Mainly because I read about the woman in Proverbs 31, specifically vs 20: She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy. 

I have to admit, I'm not a fan of my hands and when I taught Pre-K I had this little boy tell me I had old lady hands. That was 4 years ago and it has stuck. They are kind of bony, pretty sure those are age spots but I have to look back at the verse, "extends her hands to the needy." Who is needy that you come across? Most frequently, it's my children. Today I have wiped snot, dried tears, cleaned pee up off the floor (and I don't even have a boy!), changed poopy diapers, carried kids, and have hugged my kids and husband. The list doesn't end there. I will be needed to help with homework, put on gymnastics clothes, change more diapers, cook dinner, help with baths, read books, and tuck sweet littles into bed and kiss them goodnight. These hands may be "old lady" hands, but I am serving my family the best I know how. 

In addition to this, I want my hands to be known not to just how I serve my own family, but those in need. Who needs a meal delivered or their kids watched? Who needs help with a project? How might I extend my hand to the poor and needy? That is where I struggle; giving of myself in a generous, abundant way without expectation but an overflow of the generosity that God has toward me. 

I guess I don't mind my old lady hands (most days) as long as I remember who they are serving.